The Porsche Carrera GT was shot through with motorsport. Nominally a roadster, number-plates were about as far as it went! It started as a Le Mans prototype – one that was subsequently shelved. The roots of its V10 engine were in F1. Porsche had built it for the Footwork team, in the early ’90s. The Carrera GT concept car was launched at the Geneva Show, in 2000. It set off a tsunami of excitement. Showgoers jostled to get out their cheque-books. Porsche knew they had hit pay dirt. A limited-edition run was swiftly announced.
The Carrera was chock-full of competition-calibre components. The monocoque chassis was carbon-fibre. Diffusers and venturis were the stuff of F1. Wheels were super-light magnesium. So were the seats – with added carbon-fibre. Stainless-steel push-rods compressed the suspension – rigorously developed for rock-solid strength. The clutch was ceramic – as were the disc brakes. Natch, there was a 6-speed ‘box.
The Carrera GT’s bodywork was streamlined – to say the least. Huge ducts cooled the engine and brakes. Rear wing action kicked in at 75mph. The cockpit was moved forward – adding to the dynamism of the design, among other things. Porsche’s brief to self was to create a cutting edge supercar. The Carrera GT was proof they had delivered!